The present invention is directed to a vision saver and method of using the same with a computer monitor for relieving neck, shoulder and eye strain.
There are frequent complaints from people who view computer monitors for prolonged periods. Because of the fact that the computer monitor is normally at approximately 16 to 20 inches from the person seated before a desk or a table supporting the computer monitor, eye strain, frequent eye and head movements, focusing problems, and other similar problems tend to occur. This is primarily related to the fact that the monitor is relatively close to the viewer, there is glare from the screen and the keyboard is at lower level than the monitor.
An object of the present invention is to provide a vision saver which eliminates the aforementioned problems in viewing computer monitors. More particularly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vision saver which relieves neck, shoulder and eye strain by minimizing focusing problems, reducing the mount of eye convergence required, reducing glare and limiting the number of eye and head movements.
Another object is to provide an improved vision saver which enables the user to easily fine tune the positions and viewing angles of reflecting surfaces of the device for optimum viewing comfort and which enables the viewer to focus the image in the second mirror closer or farther away and to conveniently adjust the image to plumb if the screen is tilted.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved vision saver which magnifies the image on the computer monitor to ease eye strain for the viewer with normal vision and to make it possible for visually handicapped persons having low vision to safely view the computer monitor, without causing a dizzying effect or other discomfort when viewing.
These and other objects are attained by the vision saver for a computer monitor according to the present invention. The vision saver comprises first and second reflecting surfaces and support means for supporting the first and second reflecting surfaces in spaced relation in front of the computer monitor such that the first reflecting surface faces the screen of the monitor and the second reflecting surface, and the second reflecting surface faces the first reflecting surface and outwardly from the screen of the monitor whereby a person can visually observe the screen of the computer monitor by viewing the second reflecting surface. Applicants have found that this vision saver causes the image or the screen of the computer monitor to appear to be farther away when viewed in the second reflecting surface as compared with direct viewing of the image on the monitor screen.
At the same time, according to a further feature of the invention, the vision saver puts the image on the screen of a computer monitor in a more reasonable position for the viewer to view so that when the viewer is wearing bifocal glasses, for example, he/she may read the image with the distance lenses on the glasses and not necessarily the close up or reading lenses. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first reflecting surface is supported in an elevated position with respect to the second reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface is supported in a position closer to a keyboard of a computer than the screen of the monitor thereby reducing or eliminating head movement when visually jumping back and forth between the image on the screen of the monitor and the keyboard.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,884 to employ a magnifying lens between first and second reflecting surfaces of an easy viewing device for magnifying the image on the computer monitor as seen by the viewer in the second reflecting surface. This known arrangement is disadvantageous in that it requires the use of another optical component, e.g. the magnifying lens, in the device thereby increasing the complexity and cost of the device.
Another device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,884 employs a second, lower mirror, the mirror directly viewed by the user, having a concave reflective surface so that the image reflected by the second mirror toward the eyes of the viewer will be magnified. Applicants have found this arrangement providing magnification to be unsatisfactory because any head movement by the user can cause parallax problems, e.g. a dizzying or nausea effect which is quite uncomfortable after a very short viewing time.
The present invention overcomes these drawbacks with the aforementioned device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,884 by providing as a further feature of the improved vision saver that the first reflecting surface which faces the screen of the computer monitor, is made concave to provide for magnification of an image on the screen of the computer when the viewer views the second reflecting surface. The second reflecting surface is preferably planar. Applicants have found that this avoids the dizzying effect with head movement which occurs when the magnification is accomplished by forming the second reflective surface concave, and the improved vision saver of the invention does not require the use of an additional magnifying lens between the first and second reflecting surfaces.
The radius of the curvature of the concave first reflecting surface is within the range of from 25 to 200 inches and for general use, preferably about 85 inches, which gives a magnification of about one and one-half power depending on the spacing between the first and second reflecting surfaces. Usually handicapped individuals whose vision is between 20/50 and 20/100 are helped by decreasing the radius of curvature to, for example, 50 inches which gives between two and one-half and three power magnification. These handicapped individuals would normally have to get very close to the monitor screen to see it and thereby become potentially endangered because of the extra low frequency magnetic radiation (ELF's). With the improved vision saver of the invention they can safely stay at a normal distance away from the monitor.
The first and second reflecting surfaces are primary reflecting surfaces or mirrored surfaces according to the invention. The support means includes means for adjusting the positions of the reflecting surfaces with respect to the support means and also means for adjusting the facing directions of the reflecting surfaces.
In one form of the invention, the support means is free standing and includes a platform for supporting the computer monitor. Means are provided for adjusting the height of the platform with respect to the remainder of the support means and means are provided for individually adjusting the height and the facing direction of each of the first and second reflecting surfaces with respect to the support means so that the vision saver can be quickly adapted for use with different sizes of monitors. The remainder of the support means includes a pair of uprights spaced from one another and supporting the first and second reflecting surfaces therebetween at respective ends of the reflecting surfaces.
In a second form of the invention, the support means includes means for connecting the support means to a computer monitor. In this form of the invention, the support means is provided with means pivoting the support means and the reflecting surfaces supported thereby with respect to the computer monitor, so that the vision saver can be pivoted into a position for use by the viewer or pivoted out of such position when it is not desired to use the device.
According to another feature of the invention, the support means and an edge of the first reflecting surface supported thereby are located in substantially the same plane so that they can be positioned immediately adjacent the front of the monitor. This eliminates most overhead light and various distractions which might be noted while viewing the monitor. The first reflecting surface is also preferably positioned to visually block direct view of the monitor screen by the viewer to eliminate distraction when viewing the screen in the second reflecting surface.
The method of the invention of relieving eye strain while visually observing a computer monitor comprises the steps of supporting first and second reflecting surfaces in spaced relation in front of a computer monitor such that the first reflecting surface faces the screen of a monitor and the second reflecting surface, and the second reflecting surface faces the first reflecting surface and outwardly from the screen of the monitor, and viewing the second reflecting surface to observe the screen of the monitor. Preferably, the first reflecting surface is supported in an elevated position with respect to the second reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface is supported in a position closer to a keyboard of the computer than the screen of the monitor. Because the image on the screen of the monitor appears to be farther away when viewed in the second reflecting surface as compared with direct viewing of the screen of the monitor, and because the image is positioned for the viewer to read the screen image in the second reflecting surface and particularly where the image is magnified, a person can use single vision lenses or the distance part of his bifocals, not the reading area. By viewing this image of the monitor, necessary eye convergence is reduced and focusing problems are minimized. This, taken with the reduction or elimination of head movement and eye movement, results in relief of eye and neck and shoulder strain which frequently occurs when viewing a computer monitor in a conventional manner.
Another feature of a preferred form of the invention involves the use of support means which includes worm gear means for adjusting the positions of the first and second reflecting surfaces with respect to the support means. The worm gear means advantageously enable the user to fine tune the positions and viewing angles of the reflecting surfaces. The image of the screen can be focused closer or farther away by moving the reflecting surfaces closer together or farther apart and the magnification is also varied by the same means. Where a worm gear is provided at each of two opposite sides of the surfaces the user can conveniently adjust the image to plumb if the screen is tilted.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, two embodiments in accordance with the present invention.